Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 OC WindForce 2x (GV-R785OC-2GD) graphics card surprised us with just how quiet it is, whether it’s idle or working hard. Although it’s a graphics card with a 115MHz GPU overclock, WindForce 2x has no trouble keeping it cool and temperature didn’t go over 56°C.

Overclocking results are below average. We could overclock the GPU only up to 1025MHz, while the memory started misbehaving after only 50MHz extra.

Once the fan is sped up over 70%RPM, you’ll hear a strange noise from teh fan, as if the fan occasionally touches some part of the heatsink, but we couldn’t really tell exactly. When running in AUTO mode, the fan never hits 70%RPM, so it will always stay quiet.

Despite such OC results, we really think Gigabyte’s HD 7850 OC WindForce 2x deserved to get our award, since it’s overclocked but silent. The GPU was overclocked from reference 860MHz to 975MHz while the WindForce 2x cooler makes sure to keep it cool. Performance is excellent for gaming at 1680x1050 and 1920x1080.

Gigabyte’s card is some €10 pricier than the most affordable HD 7850, which is definitely justified. So, if you’re looking for an overclocked card with quiet cooling, there’s no reason to overlook Gigabyte’s HD 7850 OC WindForce 2x.